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| Last Updated:: 14/12/2015

Paris climate agreement China and India lead cheers for breakthrough

China and India, the world’s two most populous nat­ions and biggest developing country greenhouse-gas polluters, hailed yesterday’s adoption of a universal climate pact as a step to a brighter future.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the landmark deal in a Twitter post last night

“Outcome of Paris agreement has no winners or losers. Climate justice has won & we are all ­working towards a greener ­future,” he posted.

Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said earlier the deal had “written a new chapter of hope in the lives of seven billion people on the planet”.

“What we have adopted is not only an agreement, but we have written a new chapter of hope in the lives of seven billion people on the planet,” he said to applause from exhausted but elated climate negotiators.

“We have today reassured this future generation that we all together will mitigate the challenge posed by climate change and will give them a better Earth.”

Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said the agreement saw the nations of the world “marching historic steps forward”.

“All parties have made a correct choice that is beneficial for their own people, responsible for future generations and conducive to sustainable development around the world,” he said. “This indeed is a marvellous act that belongs to our generation, and all of us.”

In the years-long quest for a pact to commit all of the world’s nations to greenhouse gas curbs, Beijing and New Delhi have often clashed with developed nations in the UN climate forum.

Along with other developing nations, they have resisted efforts to have onerous emissions-cutting obligations placed upon them, and have insisted on assurances of ­finance from rich nations — which objected in return.

These issues have caused many a fallout over the years, but the enmity dropped away yesterday.

“After relentless efforts, the Paris agreement that we have achieved today is an agreement that is fair and just, comprehensive and balanced, highly ambitious, enduring and effective,” Mr Xie said.

US President Barack Obama said the agreement “offers the best chance we have to save the one planet we have” and credited his administration as being a driving force behind the deal.

Speaking from the White House, Mr Obama sought to celebrate what could be a legacy-­defining achievement — if the Republican-controlled congress or the courts fail to block him.

“I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world,” Mr Obama said.

“We’ve shown that the world has both the will and the ability to take on this challenge.”

He added: “Today, the American people can be proud — because this historic agreement is a tribute to American leadership. Over the past seven years, we’ve transformed the US into the global leader in fighting climate change.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “Paris will always be connected with this historic turning point in climate policy.”

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